


Draco the (Christmas) Menace

by Entwinedlove



Series: Twelve Days of Death Eater Xmas [4]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-20
Updated: 2017-12-20
Packaged: 2019-07-24 19:52:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16182020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Entwinedlove/pseuds/Entwinedlove
Summary: Severus babysits a 5-year-old Draco.





	Draco the (Christmas) Menace

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Death Eater Express's 12 Days of Christmas   
> day 4 prompt: a snow storm / "What do you mean, you haven't got a bloody tree, yet?" / "You can't send a gift that heavy with just one owl!"
> 
> [ ](https://i.imgur.com/6hWGN3n.jpg)

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. He could do this. He really could. He was a grown adult; he could handle a five-year-old.

In a snowstorm.

Without his parents.

Hyped up on too much sugar.

_Oh god, he was going to kill him._

"Uncle Sev," Draco started, his pale blond hair a stark contrast to the dark interior of the two-up-two-down that Severus reluctantly called home during the school holidays, "What you doing?"

_Trying not to resort to a Stunning Spell._ "I'm thinking about what we should do today. It's Christmas tomorrow, you know."

"We should have the elves bake cookies!" the little boy shouted.

_No more sugar._ "How about you help me wrap and send my gifts?" he asked. He had no gifts to send and no wrapping paper but it had sounded like a fantastic idea if judging by the look of elation on Draco's face.

"Okay!"

Severus picked up a small stack of books at random from his shelves, all tame and almost child-friendly. He Summoned parchment from the writing cabinet and took the items into the kitchen. He even pulled out a package of sellotape from one of the junk drawers he had not got around to cleaning yet.

"You can't wrap gifts in parchment!" Draco complained. With a tap of his wand, Severus Transfigured the parchment into shiny, green wrapping paper and he glanced down his nose as Draco frowned. "It's..." he started to ask, "Is it for adults? 'Cuz presents for kids need snowmans on the paper."

"Yes, it's for adults," Severus answered. "Do you know how to wrap gifts?" Draco nodded and Severus got him to explain the process, one slow step at a time. By the time the stack of books was wrapped they had used twice as much parchment as Severus had originally planned for. He wrote a small note and attached it to the large bundle.

_I'm doing this for your son. I expect these back. They are not a gift! - S. Snape_

Severus stood and took the package to the window and owl perch next to it. "Wait, wait!" Draco shouted, jumping down from his chair and almost tipping it over in his enthusiasm, "You can't send a gift that heavy with just one little owl! You should ask to borrow Hermes, he's an Eagle Owl. He's big!"

Severus made a point to look out the window. The snow was coming down thickly, not billowing but sinking. Heavy, wet snow that would sooner coat everything in a layer of ice than create a wonderland to play in. Draco would be disappointed he wouldn't be able to make an army of snowmen. "We won't be sending any gifts in this weather anyway. Shakespeare would freeze his feathers off," he told the boy.

"Then we'll just have to put them under the Christmas tree until the weather's nicer," Draco said matter-of-factly.

"I don't have a tree," Severus said and then closed his eyes, anticipating a tantrum.

The outraged shout reminded him of Narcissa, almost. "What do you mean, you don't have a bloody tree?"

"Language, Draco," he scolded.

"But how could you not have a tree?" Draco's eyes had gone wide and shiny and he looked like he would start bawling any second.

Severus might have panicked. Just a little.

"We'll get a tree. I promise," he said, though his words didn't seem to placate the almost-crying child. "When the weather eases up, we'll go get one together, all right? I was waiting for you to help pick one out for me. You've got the best eye for it."

Draco's glassy eyes cleared up instantly and the pout was gone from his face; he was smiling brightly. "Thank you, Uncle Sev."

_You just got played, Severus_. Said a voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like Lucius.

_Shut up._


End file.
